Campaign launches for parental consent

ANCHORAGE - Anti-abortion advocates kicked off their campaign in Anchorage for an initiative that would require parental consent for minors to have an abortion.

The Alaskans for Parental Rights campaign needs 30,000 signatures to put the measure on next year's ballot.

A Planned Parenthood spokeswoman, Clover Simon, told KTUU the majority of teens who seek abortions in Alaska already bring their parents, and many of those who don't often come from abusive homes.

The Alaska Family Council had expected former Gov. Sarah Palin to speak at Thursday night's launch. She backed a similar anti-abortion measure that failed in the Legislature. A Palin spokeswoman, Meghan Stapleton, said Palin supports the initiative but was out of town.